Twisted
by Little Black Duress
Summary: [Slight AU] When Victoria gets into a car accident, she should have died-that's what everyone said. But while she lives on, she is cursed with a twisted gift. She sees what others cannot, and it is driving her to insanity with no way out.
1. Drown

**Twisted**

* * *

Summary: Slight AU After Victoria has a near death experience, strange things begin happening to her. She begins to see-but her gift, her curse, may drive her to the brinks of insanity and she cannot go back.

Characters: Victoria, Kane, Lita, Undertaker, Eugene…Many more. Lita/Kane tastes, still looking for a pairing for Victoria.

Rating: PG-13, some chapters may evolve into R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in or related to the WWE.

Note: I apologize for not working on 'Warriors', those of you who are looking into this who have read my other work, but I'm having bad writers block and am just getting over a very painful sickness. It's taken up most of my energy, to much energy to really think about the lengthy plot and storyline I have in mind for my other story, so I've decided to warm myself up with this one. It's just an idea, and may evolve into a full-length story (50+ chapters). We'll see, but I do intend to continue Warriors as soon as I am well.

* * *

**Chapter One: Drown**

_"She's like a lost flower_

_Growing up through a crack_

_In the bustling sidewalk_

_Moving like a river so sad…"_

_-Lovefurypassionenergy, Boy Hits Car_

* * *

__

The hot water that rushed over her skin was like a hail of burning fire upon her morning-dead skin, awakening it with rude intrusion.

Victoria took in a deep breath at the feel of it, and shied from the shower of water, but allowed it to envelop her once more, this time with comfort and practiced tolerance to the heat. This was how she started her day every morning-with a blast of hot water. It was probably the only minutes she'd have to herself the entire day.

Her hands, clenching and unclenching with stiff fingers, reached up to run through her hair, a dull black flame in the steam of her early morning shower, tousling the strands. A frown perched upon her lips, stopping the hot water from running in rivers into her mouth. Her ears caught glimpse of a radio playing somewhere in a different room, a rock beat that was nearly drowned out by the shower running.

Drowning it out…drowning…

-

Her fumbling hands plunged into the hardwood drawer beside her, drawing out a black sweatshirt that she slipped over her head. For a moment the sunlight from the window spilled over her skin, and she let out a small shiver from the warmth, her body still radiating heat from the shower. But it was gone in a moment, and once again she stood in silence.

She flopped onto the unmade hotel bed, and craned her neck out to catch a glimpse of her shoes, hiding like a pair of black rabbits beneath the dust ruffle. A hand reached out to snatch them up. On her feet they went, one foot, two feet, time to GO, time to leave, time to get out.

Her tongue slid out and ran over her lips, wetting them as she headed for the door of her hotel room. There was silence, a golden silence everywhere this morning.

A pause.

The young woman stopped, and cocked her head, looking into the mirror mounted upon the door. Here she was, herself, in the reflection. She cocked her head, curiously, as if this was something new.

She was Victoria, warrior and woman of the squared circle. She was friend and enemy, woman and girl who dared to get rough with the boys, the femme fatal millions adored. Her reality, her life, was a bit of a myth to them, but she didn't mind.

With her quiet observations, Victoria noted little things about herself: she was tall enough, and strong, but not so she looked like a gym addict, as some of the other wrestlers did. Her hair was fairly long, down her back in a raven cascade, still damp from the shower. She wasn't dressed to the nines in any way, in a black pair of sweat pants and extra large shirt and sneakers, but Victoria decided she was pretty enough.

Shrugging her shoulders, she once again began to walk for the door, but stopped and looked at herself again. Something was different. She couldn't put a finger on it, but something felt funny in the pit of her stomach.

The raven-tressed woman bit her lip, but shook her head, and opened the door, jogging in place as she closed it.

-

The lonely walk to her car was short enough. The parking lot was deserted of people, the sun just rising. Concrete turned gold and Victoria's nerves collapsed as she enjoyed the site, before reaching into her pants pocket to retrieve her car keys.

For several a year she had returned to be with both friends and enemies upon Raw. It had been several months since Trish had injured Lita, and the woman was expecting her red headed partner to return within a small time. Since that fateful night in Puerto Rico, the smug smile upon the Women's Champion's face was beginning to falter. Victoria was becoming the Hunter and had disemboweled Trish's confidence at every chance she got. One Lita returned, there would be no one to run to for Trish.

Victoria naturally wasn't much of a murderer, but wrestling had it's perks, as being legally able to injure people. Into steel. Lots of shiny, metal steel.

Finally, her keys managed to work themselves into the lock, and a moment later, she was revving up her engine, and slowly driving onto the empty road before her.

She would find a place to get a little coffee, and take a jog in the wildlife center just outside of the town. The roads would be quiet and she would spend a little her-on-her time.

A brief smile crossed her face. What a delicious thought.

-

The local Dunkin' Donuts was open, and a dollar later, Victoria found herself clutching and sipping a Styrofoam cup full of coffee. She set it into the cup holder and allowed it to cool as she drove along.

It was days like this, without distractions and crowds and noise, that Victoria felt most pleased. People were wonderful-she loved people, actually, loved the energy from them. But over the years, there were moments when she realized how mature she was getting, and how nice peace and quiet were becoming. Growing old so young, that was what she told herself. Maybe she was.

The car bumped up and down a little as Victoria turned onto a dirt road, to take a brief shortcut to the center.

Her mind drifted back to everything going on. She would be facing Trish in four days on Raw. So far, she was escaping the storylines, besides her bitter rivalry. But, you can't be everyone's friend. Christy was beginning to slowly fall into wrestling, and she had eagerly offered to train her in the ways of the WWE. It was fun, almost like having Lita back. Friends were hard to find in the business. She wasn't sure many people even were true to their amigos.

A smirk crossed her features. Well, some of them. Her friendships were true. So were, for the most part, her enemies.

Her eyes slid upward and squint through the windshield, up into the tops of the trees growing upon either side of her. The sun was climbing high into the sky, the early morning mist fading out.

She reached the end of the shortcut, and began to drive on the concrete road again, running alongside the stone railing of the bridge that allowed her passage over the dark blue river below. A car or two had passed her on her way so far. It was so quiet, maybe too quiet. One of Victoria's hands reached down to turn the radio on. A song came through the speakers, smooth and easy.

"-…that I look in the mirror  
All these lines on my face getting clearer  
The past is gone  
It went by like dust to dawn  
Isn't that the way  
Everybody's got their dues in life to pay…"

The time was 6: 47 in the morning when Victoria saw the truck. It was painted black, the windows tinted. She saw deep scratches on it's dull sides.

It was swerving into her lane, oncoming in a twisting pattern. Victoria felt a cold sweat break over her skin. She gripped the steering wheel and attempted to drive from it's designated path that changed every few seconds.

Unfortunately the plans she had to run away unscatched were interrupted by the hand of whatever force guided the driver of the truck.

The crash itself took on a moment, but Victoria saw it as an eternity. Her car slammed on the brakes and swerved sharply to the right as the truck pummeled towards her, smashing into her side.

The result was her vehicle smashing into the stone side of the bridge, and breaking through the rock while the truck fell on it's side and skidded on the concrete for several minutes.

For a long time Victoria could feel herself falling, falling, falling, her car heading towards the cold morning waters below. For a long time she prayed and received no answer. For a long time, she realized she was going to die.

"…I know nobody knows  
Where it comes and where it goes  
I know it's everybody's sin  
You got to lose to know how to win…"

A moment later, her car fell foreword into the water with a splash that would have woken any who had been dreaming peacefully. Water began to immediately gurgle into the car, as Victoria's head snapped back and forth and crashed into her dashboard.

Blood seeped down her face as Victoria slowly slipped from our world into another realm. Her legs soon became immersed in the chill of the liquid that penetrated the car.

Like a pale angel, her face dressed in red, Victoria began to sink with her metal carriage, down into the depths of the river. She would only have a few minutes, but she did not know it. She knew nothing. She knew…death, perhaps.

Her lullaby gurgled onward, through the cold waters.

"Half my life is in books' written pages  
Lived and learned from fools and  
from sages.

You know it's true  
All the things come back to you…"

A brilliant light flooded through the windows, through the persuading and seductive darkness that surrounded the little car. Victoria felt her eyes open and stare longing into it, and for a second it appeared this was how she would spend eternity.

But the light…

It was a painful vision. Victoria wanted the black. The light would swallow her. It was noisy and screaming was within, pain was within, life and death was inside that terrible light that wanted her, to engulf her in the burning feeling of fire and passion and hatred. She didn't know what she was thinking or doing anymore, but she wanted that darkness…

The light took her anyways.

And that's when she screamed.

"Sing with me, sing for the year  
Sing for the laughter, sing for the tears  
Sing with me, if it's just for today  
Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away…"

-

News Broadcast from a local station at 10 o'clock, July 7:

"…at 6:52, a call came in from a car phone on a small highway about an hour from Philadelphia, alerted the police of a car accident. One of the vehicles was submerged in the river below the fairly deserted bridge that led to the wildlife center. In the other, the intoxicated driver was rendered unconscious. The caller was a young man who had seen the accident, and had bravely dived in after the first car to rescue the woman inside. Police merited him on his heroic deeds. The woman was unconscious and thought dead upon examination. After administering CPR several times, she was finally revived, later identified as Victoria, a popular wrestler with the WWE. In other news, a local man has begun…"

A stirring came from within the dark room, a cracked and crooked smile grinning towards the flickering screen upon the television. A familiar face, a familiar voice rose from the depths of gloomy comfort he took to keep himself occupied in the long hours.

"She will see…"

A twisted look came into his eyes.

"…she'll see the pain."

Laughter, faded into the dark solace he kept.

-

Hundreds of miles away, Victoria awoke in her hospital bed, screaming, sweat running down her skin, like ice to the touch. Her hands trembled as they touched her face, her cheeks, and stared at the tips of her fingers. Blood soaked the tiny depths of her fingerprints.

"Oh my god…"

Her voice cracked, and she fainted, managing only to whisper to the nurses running in:

_"…I felt them screaming…"_

_-_

**Finito chapter one.**


	2. Why Aren't You Dead?

**Twisted**

* * *

Summary: Slight AU After Victoria has a near death experience, strange things begin happening to her. She begins to see-but her gift, her curse, may drive her to the brinks of insanity and she cannot go back.

Characters: Victoria, Kane, Lita, Undertaker, Eugene…Many more. Lita/Kane tastes, still looking for a pairing for Victoria.

Rating: PG-13, some chapters may evolve into R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in or related to the WWE.

Authors Note: A few days ago, in a fit of inspiration, I started writing the ending chapter. It cannot be entirely completed, but I think I have the ending to the story. My problem with writing short stories is I never have the inspiration to finish because I can't get the right ending. This is a good sign for Twisted-it means I might be able to finish.

* * *

**Chapter Two: "Why Aren't You Dead?"**

_"Read between the lines  
What's fucked up and everything's alright  
Check my vital signs  
To know I'm still alive and I walk alone…"_

_-Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Green Day_

* * *

"Victoria…"

"Sweetie, wake up…"

"Please wake up…"

The gentle voices broke through the cloudy haze within Victoria's mind. A steady beeping sound was emitting next to her, and the outside world, the reality beyond her tightly shut eyelids, it seemed bright.

_The light…_

She shuddered, and opened her eyes. Several sets stared back at her, worry and concern muddled in them. Light filtered through a window with white curtains, and somewhere outside, a bird sang gently.

It was a hospital room, Victoria noted. She looked down at her arm, that felt very heavy, and saw an IV needle sticking into it. She grimaced, and felt the urge to vomit. She did not like needles.

The people around her bed looked pale and scared. They were her best friends, comrades and warriors alike in the world of wrestling, although one of them didn't even work for it anymore, meaning Nidia. The Hispanic woman was sitting in a chair by her bed, clutching one of her hands worriedly. Her clothes were wrinkled, sunken shadows beneath her normally bright eyes. They had remained close friends even after she was cut loose, and were slowly working on getting her to return to wrestling.

Lita was pacing the room slowly, a definite, but small limp on one leg, the fiery redhead moving in short, uninspired bursts, staring at her face. Her hands were shaking, and she was tying and untying the nylon string on the front of her sweatpants. At the site of Victoria awakening, she gave a soft gasp, and walked to stand beside Nidia.

"It's been two…" Her voice faded, and she ran her hands through her hair, looking near tears. This was not the woman Victoria knew. Lita was strong, very strong. What had happened to her…?

On her other side, the natural beauty of Stacy Keibler seemed ashen, as her head rested upon the bed's disheveled sheets, sleeping peacefully. At the sound of Lita's voice, her head shot up, and she looked around hurriedly, then grabbed Victoria's other hand, "Thank God…"

The last face in the room was Christy Hemme herself, standing by her shoulder, the sparkplug at a loss for words, and gripping her shoulder gently, as if Victoria was suddenly a delicate porcelain woman. All four of the women were dressed in sweatpants, jeans, and baggy clothing, as if they had decided to get dressed in the middle of the night to escape something terrible. No makeup, hair askew, shoes without socks…

Victoria gave a weak smile to all of them, and closed her eyes again. They knew she would wake up again this time. But right now, she needed to sleep, because somehow it was too quiet.

* * *

_Hello Victoria._

_She didn't know where the voice was coming from, or who it was, but she was running, running, running away. It was a bad voice. It wanted to hurt her, to drive her away from all she loved, her comfort, her stability in life._

_Can't hide, can you?_

_Her mind was screaming at her. The darkness had allowed her inside, but the light was following, a black blinding enchantment. She wouldn't be able to escape it. The darkness was weak against it. She remembered a quote from a book she had read when she was a child-_

_There is no hiding in darkness if there is but one spark of light, isn't that right Victoria? We both know what your thinking, did you know that…_

_How did it know her thoughts? This thing knew her secrets, her hopes, her dreams. It wanted them gone. It feed off her insanity, her fear. It was…_

_I'm nothing Victoria. Nothing, nobody…but I'm also everyone who came before you. I'm their legacy and their dying light._

_Why don't you join us?_

* * *

When she awoke again, the room was dark. The four girls were sleeping peacefully around the room. Nidia had claim of a cot she was sharing with Christy, who was half slipping off it, cocooned in a plain blue blanket. Stacy was in a chair, head resting by her feet. Victoria wiggled her toes briefly; just to make sure she could move them. Stacy did not stir, the blonde lost and dead to the world.

Lita was on the cold tile floor, head on a white pillow, stolen from a closet. Aperson stood over her,the form of aman. Victoria gasped, and stared athim ashe bent over the redhead. But as she observed more carefully, the raven haired woman saw they were tucking a blanket around Lita, her shoulders bare and pale in the moonlight streaming through the window before the dark material slipped over them.

The man kissed Lita's cheek briefly, and she stirred slightly, mumbling something incoherent. He straightened, and Victoria saw it was Kane. He stared at her, blankly, the unbridled rage and fury within him ebbing for the moment. He pressed a finger to his lips, and slipped form the room, body language, as always, hostile and in control.

For the moment.

Victoria's head dropped back on the pillow, and she sighed. Sleep again…she'd think more tomorrow, when she would be awake form this moonlit dream.

* * *

A gentle hand was the greeting to morning as the black haired Diva woke, finally coherent and understanding to the world. A slightly better looking Nidia was touching her cheek, a soft smile on her face. In one hand she held a Styrofoam cup. Victoria smelled a flash of oranges.

"The doctor said you could start eating like a normal person again." Came the whisper from her mouth, and the smile widened as Victoria accepted the cup and tasted the drink.

Around her, the rest of the Divas were waking. Stacy lifted her head, and flopped it back down, groaning something about the evils of steel chairs. Lita was rolling around a little, before opening her eyes, and staring in question at the blanket around her. She licked her lips, and stood anyways, wrapping the cover around her. Christy was stretching lazily, rolling her head and shoulders. Victoria proudly noted the power that was growing in her arms from all their training together.

All the while, she lay there, sipping the orange juice, quiet and peaceful, her nightmare the furthest thing from her mind.

The other girls became anxious and happy when they saw their friend awake and bright eyed. When she finished her drink, Stacy hesitantly started, "How…how are you feeling? We were…"

"…worried." The rest of them finished, and Victoria grinned weakly in spite of herself.

"I feel good. By the way, all of you look like shit right now, did you know that?"

Lita rolled her eyes, "This is the thanks we get, girls, for sleeping on your hospital room floor for three nights. Much love, Victoria."

"Three days!" Victoria's eyes went wide, "What happened to me? Did I fall off a cliff…or…"

The events of July 7th passed through her mind, slowly and broken sequenced, as Christy began to talk, her voice soft.

"Victoria, sweetie, you got into a car accident. A drunk driver pummeled into you and knocked you off a bridge."

"The water…" Victoria murmured, "I remember water. Then I hit my head on something and…"

"You smashed our head on your dashboard and nearly snapped your neck." Lita took over, and dropped her eyes to the floor. "The car flooded with water, and there was a big crack in the windshield. The doctors think that you probably went unconscious after you hit your head." She reached a hand out and touched the left side of Victoria's head. For the first time, the raven tressed woman noticed the numbness there, winced as Lita touched it. The red head drew her hand away.

Stacy spoke now, clutching her hands together, "A man saw the accident, and called the ambulance in. The other man was fine. He's going to jail right now. The guy who rescued you was really nice, but he disappeared after the police got there. We never got to thank him. He saved your…"

Victoria began to think again, mind racing. She couldn't remember anything after the light. So she said, slowly, the first question that came to her mind, "How long was I under the water?"

Nidia's voice came out as a squeak, "Nearly fifteen minutes. Your car was pretty far under by the time the guy got to you."

_You should be dead._

_You should be buried._

The voices came to Victoria. She did not know who they belonged to. Surely none of her friends had said such a horrible thing. Lita leaned over and hugged Victoria tightly, "We thought we lost you. Oh, Victoria, we're all so happy…"

_Why aren't you dead?_

_Why are you still alive?_

_What made you different from us?_

_You cheating bitch, you should be rotting in the river right now!_

_WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?_

The other three moved in to gently embrace their friend. Victoria stared, impassive, over their shoulders, eyes frozen with fear.

_Why wasn't she dead?_

* * *

**Replies:**

Cenababe1: Thanks for the review, you were the first! I'm not to keen on adding Batista, thanks though. Most stories are really concentrating on him and Orton right now, and I'd like to stray from the genres. I'm looking for someone…different.

Funky In Fishnet: Much love to you.

Y2J Chris Jericho: Nice review. No, I'm not pairing her with Eugene, he'll be one of the centrally different characters in the story. Prepare to see a different side of him then most do. Steven is a possibility, but I'm not sure. I'll probably end up with him, I'm not sure.

Mizz Molko: Thank you! Emotion is what makes the world go round.

Phoenix-Satori10: I'm happy to have people reading. :)

**Thanks to all my readers, and goodnight. Expect Chapter 3 within 1 week, unless something goes wrong.**

_Jinx (Elizabeth Jennifer)_


	3. Dead Woman Walking

**Twisted**

* * *

Summary: Slight AU After Victoria has a near death experience, strange things begin happening to her. She begins to see-but her gift, her curse, may drive her to the brinks of insanity and she cannot go back.

Characters: Victoria, Kane, Lita, Undertaker, Eugene…Many more. Lita/Kane pairing, still looking for a pairing for Victoria, but am seriously leaning towards Jericho. He's hot. That's all I'm gonna say.

Rating: PG-13, some chapters may evolve into R.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in or related to the WWE.

Author's note: Reviews make me happy, so if you read, TELL ME!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Dead Woman Walking**

"_Where has my heart gone?_

_An uneven trade for the real world_

_I want to go back to_

_Believing in everything and knowing nothing at all…"_

_-Field of Innocence, Evanescence_

* * *

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

The seconds, minutes, hours, they all seemed to drag by as time moved on. In and out of this world, into the next, she slept, occasionally. She was restless and bright eyed, hungry and full. There were no books to read but the few magazines one of the nurses had left her from the waiting room. So far, Victoria had read all about the wonders of sex during pregnancies and making a delicious low fat chocolate cheesecake. Chocolate. If there was one thing she was craving above all else…

It had been exactly 38 hours and 14 minutes since she had woken up from her deep, painful slumber, and her friends had surrounded her with warmth and love. The voices had receded for a small time for now. They befuddled the Diva, made her wonder about her sanity. She had seen and done many things in her years as a woman and a child alike, and nothing compared to the intensity that the voices held.

They spoke to her in both dreams and reality, but Victoria had ignored them. Leftover anxiety from the accident. Stress. Nightmares. A thousand explanations! She wasn't crazy. Sure, she could get a little insane on the screen sometimes, but for the most part, she knew herself and was quite aware of her stable mentality.

_Nothing to worry about my dear. We all know your not crazy._

"Damn right." She mumbled, and froze, then ducked under her blankets.

-

At hour 40, a doctor came in. He was a very logical and plain looking man with grey hair and clean hands that smelled of Lysol orange soap. Victoria caught herself staring at them as he spoke. They jittered nervously, tapping the sides of his pants, fiddling with his pockets. It was quite interesting, but altogether a little unnerving.

His visit, as he explained, was to inform her she was allowed to go home. Her friends had been hounding him for information and were patiently waiting outside the door, like jackals willing and ready to tackle a fresh piece of meat.

'So that's why he's nervous…' came the thought the trailed through Victoria's mind as she patiently waited for the man to finish his speech.

He gave her instructions of what to do and not to do. She'd be back at Raw by next week's show, but had to be careful. Take nothing stronger then Advil for the pain, and consult a therapist if she was having any problems getting over her accident.

"Some people never get over things like this." He stated blandly, and blinked, continuing onward with his speech.

Victoria gave him a raised eyebrow at the statement. She was in good health, he finished, stating there would be few nasty bits of aftermath from the accident she'd have to worry about. Try not to get hit with anything to the head very much, it may upset something inside.

"And, Miss Victoria, please remember: don't get hit by a car again." He ended lamely, and offered her a sympathetic smile. Victoria shyly grinned back, and nodded, "It'll be tough, but alright. I think I'll just take the bus next time, though." They shared a soft, polite laugh, the bland kind that is meant for show, nothing else. At the moment, despite her boredom and willingness to be amused by anything that came by, she was the furthest from a jolly mood she'd been all week.

Maybe it was just paranoia, but the voices seemed louder. People who weren't there were there.

Paranoia. That was it.

-

An hour later, Victoria was cocooned in a pile of soft comforters in the backseat of Nidia's car. It was a large, SUV type of beast, and seated the five girls comfortably. They lounged on the seats, shoes off, radio playing softly. Nidia had jovially declared Victoria's good health and coming home was a celebration, so they had stopped for ice cream as they made their way back onto the highway, which was why the taste of chocolate milkshake was lingering upon the black haired woman's lips.

The voices were gone for now, thus relaxing Victoria to a point when she had forgotten them completely, passing it off for echoes from the hallway and her own disoriented state in the hospital. It was a perfectly logical and reasonable explanation and Victoria, though not so logical and reasonable herself, was quite pleased with it. So that was the explanation. It had to be. She wasn't insane. She wasn't some sixth sense wannabe.

She was…Victoria.

Nidia's driving was smooth and her car hummed gently. Victoria's eyes dropped, and she reached of with a foot to poke Christy's elbow. Through a yawn, the Diva asked her something about her work on drop kicks, but never got an answer as she slowly drifted into a sleep.

-

"I'm worried about Victoria, guys." Lita's voice was low and soft as she stared at her friend's sleeping form. Stacy turned, and licked the last trace of vanilla ice cream from her lips, "Li, she did just get out of a car crash…we're all worried."

"She's different…No el mismo como antes." Nidia's voice was heavy and dark, the Spanish rolling over her tongue. Lita nodded enthusiastically, translating, "Not the same as before. She seems…Haunted. Troubled."

Christy turned, and the red head watched the young woman stretched on the seats behind them. One of Victoria's hands twitched and fell off the seat, brushing the floor. Her milkshake cup rolled past her fingers, brushing skin was colorful plastic and paper.

"She's not giving away as much as there is. I think something happened to her during that accident." Christy said, and her voice grew a little bolder at the other girl's looks of realization. "Maybe she saw something, felt something. Out of body experiences, you know. The things we always see on TV, an Unsolved Mystery sort of situation."

Stacy sighed, and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes, "Whatever it is, we'll never figure it out by ourselves. Let the girl sleep."

Within an hour, all of them were asleep, except Nidia, who drove onward into the bloodshot sunset, silent and thoughtful.

-

_She was back inside the hospital._

_The white walls and soft sheets around her were a blinding light as she blinked to regain her sense of sight. But everything was blurred._

"_She's not awake yet. Poor dear. We'll have to operate immediately."_

_No. No! She was awake. Victoria tried to jump up and out of the bed, letting out a deafening scream, only to find she couldn't move. Her arms were bound with leather restraints. White leather._

_The faces around her were smiling, unaware and happy looking. They were skeleton faces, the kinds you see in nightmares. The kind of faces that will awaken a child to screams and tears._

_Their grinning teeth were rotted and mossy, cracked and grey-green, as they chuckled and chattered. No eyes were in their sockets, but splatters of blood dribbled downward from the empty darkness. Their hands were fondling knives and one of their hands clutched an axe. Bits of flesh hung off their bones. They dressed in crisp clean, hospital clothing, nurses and a doctor. He lolled his head towards her, and held the axe over his head._

"_Don't worry, honey. You'll be all better soon."_

_He swung the axe down, and-_

_- _

"Victoria, we're here…"

The voice of Christy brought Victoria from her dream. She lifted her head, startled, a cold sweat running over her skin. She relaxed within a moment after seeing the face of her friend, that was cheery and unconcerned, a drastic change from the anxiety playing across her features a few nights ago.

The girls were staying in a hotel in New York, where the next show was being held. Instead of being in the city, for Victoria's sake, they opted for a quite place just outside the bustling crowds.

The raven-haired Diva gave her friend a smile, and slowly climbed from the car, slipping on a pair of sandals Lita tossed her so she wouldn't have to feel the gravel driveway through her thin socks.

The crisp, fresh air felt like the essence of heaven after being confined to a car for several hours. Victoria breathed in deeply, as Nidia closed her door for her, and they started inside the hotel.

It was a pleasant, quiet place, complete with a plush red carpet and an outdoor pool. Nidia and Stacy went immediately to the front desk to get the keys to their room, while Victoria looked around. It was big, but not big enough as to make her feel belittled.

A bouquet of roses caught her eye, sitting placidly on a table. She moved towards them, and bent her face down to breathe in their fragrance deeply. It was a summer scent, but something was sour about the delicate fumes. She noticed a car sitting by the table. Looking around carefully, as to make sure no one was watching her reading, well, someone else's private business, probably a lover to another, she snuck a peek at the little white slip. Her eyes scanned it, and it dropped to the floor, her hand going limp, as she took a step back.

The inscription on the card?

_'Dearest Victoria,_

_Welcome home. I see you've chosen a nice place to get your fucking throat. Or maybe you'd rather be thrown out a window? We can do anything you want…as long as it ends with you belonging to us. Have fun going insane, bitch!_

_Love,_

_Your Dead Friends'_

* * *

_-Jinx _


	4. Perfect, Perhaps

**Twisted**

* * *

If you're this far into the story, I think you know what the summary is by now. :)

Characters: Victoria/CHRIS JERICHO (Reasons at the bottom), Kane/Lita, Undertaker, Eugene, Christy, Nidia, Stacy, ect.

I own nothing but my own talent, if any.

Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I really love the ones from the three others, Chemical, Careful, and When Mary Attacks! It's super knowing you guys can hear my thoughts and want to hear more.

And, as a note, I probably will end up writing all three and many more stories about the Kane/Lita relationship I mentioned in Chemical, but expect a full length story that is basically 'Countdown' and 'The Cradle Has Fallen' combined within a few months, maybe weeks! I want to hit ten chapters with this before staring a big project.

Enjoy reading Twisted.

* * *

**Chapter Four: Perfect, Perhaps**

"_And I wonder  
When I sing along with you  
If everything could ever feel this real forever  
If anything could ever be this good again"_

_-Foo Fighters, Everlong_

"_Why do I wear black? Well, because I'm in mourning for everyone who hasn't killed themselves yet."_

_-Anonymous_

* * *

The sleek fabric between her hands smelled like leathers and laces only people in worlds away from her could have created. Victoria smiled and breathed in deeply as she pressed her face into the white silk of the dress on the rack before her.

It had been three days since she had been released from the hospital. She had slept and fought with nightmares. In her purse, slung over the shoulder of her well tailored, dark blue suit jacket was the dreadful note she had received in the hotel lobby. It had haunted her mind, but today she was determined to push it away from her.

The girls-minus Christy who was doing an autograph signing-had dragged Victoria from her bed about an hour before, and now they were wandering the city, under an agreement to meet each other at a restaurant for lunch. New York never ceased to amaze her, and right now, she stood under the dim lights of a dress shop.

Her hands had wandered over many yards of silken and cotton materials, passed over sparkling rhinestones and diamonds almost indistinguishable from each other, and feathers and furs, dyed bright colors. It was a pleasant, feminine task of searching for something perfect that took her mind of off her accident and it's aftermath. Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn; but ghosts are a different story when they are vengeful.

Ghosts. What a strange thought.

She may have nightmares, may hear things, but that was just the repercussions form nearly drowning. Victoria knew she was being silly, but something felt very wrong.

Her eyes gazed at the white dress before her. It was ghostlike itself, but still beautiful.

She snatched it off the rack and marched to the register. Silly thoughts. Bad thoughts.

_Dangerous thoughts, Victoria. _

-

A hundred dollars later as Victoria was wandering the city streets quietly, eyes on her ground before her. Beneath her arm she held the crinkling plastic bag, her skin pale and almost radiantly glowing in the sunlight bouncing off shop windows.

Reflections stared back at her, mirror images of what happened in the world around them. Victoria paid no heed, thoughts upon what was to come. She'd come back to Raw within a few days, and everything would go back to normal. Flirting with the guys who were not married as of yet, beating the shit out of anyone who got in her way, and spending so much time with her friends that she would wish she was back in the quiet hospital.

Normal. A beautiful word, a lovely world, perfection!

A smile graced her lips, and she lifted her head, leaning it back so her loose, long black hair brushed against her hip as she swung her head back up to stare the road ahead. The sidewalk was crowded, as always, but could have been worse. For the most part, she had enough room to be comfortably away from others, just like she wanted right now.

A little time to herself was a rare thing occasionally. Especially after she got into a car accident.

A frown met her mind. The man who hit her, apparently, died just about the same time she awoke form her coma. He seemed drunk, from the way he was driving, but there hadn't even been any alcohol in his body.

Mysteries, mysteries. They found no ID on him. The car was stolen from a few teenage boys in Maine. No one knew him. It was like he was a-

_Ghost._

A brief moment of insanity crossed her mind as the whispered voice broke through her, but she ignored it. A ghost. Of course. She had thought of that.

No one else. Just her.

_Just you._

-

"Oh God, girl, it's gorgeous."

Stacy's excited squeal alarmed Victoria from her daze as she picked at her lunch, spaghetti and a hunk of Italian sausage (AN: I am having the worst craving for spicy sausage and pasta right now.). The raven-haired beauty looked up quickly, as she peered with a raised brow at Stacy staring at the dress she had snatched earlier. She hadn't tried it on, only gazed at the silken white material and noted the price. If it was her size, she would have to thank those voices for picking a lovely evening gown for her.

Lita and Nidia chuckled as the redhead reached out to smack her lightly upside the head, "What, no leather and chains? I was hoping to go to a rock metal concert with you to. Oh well, we can always pull a Carrie and dump pigs blood on you, Vic. But mucho sexy pick."

Nidia gave the other girl a strange look, and went back to nibbling on a salad, "I don't know, Lita, I think she would rather be bloody less."

Victoria shook her head, "Lita, I'm not going to another one of your concerts, and thank you Nidia. Remember to restrain her next time we allow her out of her cage."

Lita squeaked, and the girls burst into laughter. Victoria eyed the dress in Stacy's lap, the blonde giving her a critical eye, "I'm bringing you along next time we wander the big apple. Which reminds me. I want pie. Anyone for desert?"

Nidia raised her eyebrow, "How do you get apples from pie…Never mind, I'm sure there is an obvious answer I'm not paying attention to."

Stacy flagged down the waitress, and Victoria was left to her musings for a moment or two before expressing her desire for chocolate to the friendly face of the waitress.

A few minutes later, she was staring down at a delicious sundae that she openly shared with her friends. A smile broke over her face. Things could be perfect, maybe, if all days were like this. Nidia was always so tired from working to gain back her job, not like now, as she stole Stacy's whipped cream and wiped it on her nose. Lita, who shared her treat, seemed quieter, more thoughtful, since her marriage to Kane. Almost afraid…just, well, different. Victoria loved her friends-they were sisters to her. But if everything could be perfect, as peaceful as Christy and Stacy's lives, well…

Victoria could die happier.

_You'll die, don't worry darling._

Victoria ignored this voice, and dove her spoon deep into the ice cream. Suddenly, she needed something to cheer her up.

-

The other girls opted to take their rental cars home. Victoria insisted upon driving alone, in her small, cramped car she had snagged at the last minute. The other girls shared disturbed glances, but could not move the Diva from her position.

By the time they left the restaurant, and had popped in enough stores to satisfy Stacy's love of shopping, dusk was already settling a little. Victoria walked quickly; aware of the dangers a lonely woman can have in a city at night. By the time she had reached her car, a serious unease had settled over her, and she moved lithely, with darting glanced to the dark corners of the streets.

The drive back to the hotel was quiet. Her radio was off, and she sat beside the white dress she had bought without a moment's hesitation. She glanced at it briefly, and smiled a secretive smile only a woman who had seen much love and hate can accomplish without looking phony.

She sighed, and leaned back in her chair. Streetlamps fell behind her as she moved through the small, winding road.

Her eyes blinked, and slowly she closed them for a relaxing moment and

_-SCREECH!_

The sound of a bang next to her ear, the horrible sound of metal against pavement the awful sounds flooded into her and she slammed on her brakes, turning the car in a full circle and leaving black marks on the road. Victoria trembled, eyes wide, a cold sweat over her.

The road was quiet. No other cars.

The sound had been imagine. But it had been so real, so vivid, so…

Slowly, she pulled the car to the side of the road.

By the dark forest and dim road before her, Victoria wept like a child as twilight gave way into darkness.

-

A frivolous chapter. My apologies.

Why did I choose Chris for Victoria (He shall be introduced within one or two chapters)? He's smart, funny, sexy, everything Victoria is, and strong. He seems to me like the type of person you could be comforted by. I have the scene for the last chapter, and…you'll see. But he fits it perfectly. They'd make a good couple, don't you agree?

Kane/Lita fans can expect another one shot soon. A silly one I have in mind, but KL romance, anyways. :)

Well, thanks for reading, and to my reviewers (You know who you are! ) I LOVE YOU GUYS! Heh.

-_Jinx_


End file.
